INDIANAPOLIS — Onyia Squires knows the struggles and the joys of a lot of women.
She is not only a single mom and a working mom.
She is also a dedicated mom, pouring everything she has into her 10-year-old son, Orion.
"He is a character," Squires said. "My little mini me, for sure."
She loves his bright smile and unbounding energy.
But for her, motherhood comes with an extra challenge.
Orion is battling sickle cell disease, a genetic blood disorder, in which red blood cells become hard and sticky and from a crescent shape, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The disorder can be painful at times for those living with it.
"Whenever he's in pain or hurting, that's the worst," Squires said. "What can I do? How can I fix this? What can I change?"
Those are all questions she struggles to answer when her son is enduring a painful episode.
"I think the main thing for him," she said, "is just giving him the support and showing him mama's here. We love you."
Squires has leaned on a support system in close relatives and friends, but she has also found a sisterhood in two organizations planning a special Mother's Day Weekend fellowship gathering.
Mary Moore is also a single mom, raising a daughter with sickle cell disease.
Moore is one of the women behind the second "Royal Crown Event," put on by "Single Mothers Rock, Inc.," which provides resources and wraparound services for single parents, and "Susters Incorporated," which aims to support parents caring for children with sickle cell disease.
Moore founded "Susters Incorporated" and serves as the non-profit agency's CEO.
She says the "Royal Crown Event" aims to bring women together and support their journey in motherhood.
"I want to give back to them," Moore said. "To give them a sense of hope. I can actually give out love and support for other individuals feeling the challenges of being a single parent and having to deal with health disparities of their children."
Shirnice Hubbard is the executive director of "Single Moms Rock, Inc." and points out the organization provides supportive resources and assistance to single parents, focusing on housing, education, entrepreneurship, food, transportation and child care.
Hubbard highlights the need for a Mother's Day Weekend event, like the one she and Moore are organizing.
"It's challenging being a parent itself," Hubbard said. "And so, we like to give them a day where we show them we see [they] are special. We want to show you we appreciate you for what you do."
The "Royal Crown Event" is a day of pampering, recognition, good food, and networking, happening Saturday, May 11 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Global Village Welcome Center on Lafayette Road on Indianapolis' northwest side.
Tickets are still available to attend. For more information, click here.
The goal is to raise funds and sponsorships to continue providing services for single mothers.
At last year's Mother's Day event, Squires was able to share her story, get advice, and learn about those resources available to her and her son.
"Mary's event last year was so positive, so wonderful," Squires recalls, "A lot of networking to get information on lots of different things. And so I'm very grateful for Miss Mary, for sure."
"That's the key thing," Moore said. "Being a part of a family of individuals that are like you, and some are not like you. And just being able to network with other individuals you can speak to."
